Cockrotoa
by adromir
Summary: After a simple hunt, a strange living thing grows fast in Sam's belly. Takes place during Season 11 right before episode 7 "Plush".
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, all SPN lovers. I may be a new writer to** _ **this**_ **fandom, but I've been writing on this board for more than 10 years already. Some of you may recognize me from my Flashpoint and Lord of The Rings fanfics. That was such a long time ago. Anyway, this is my first SPN fic and also a first fic after nearly three years of absence. Those who have been following me might have been wondering where I've been to, why I was so quiet. Suffice it to say that my life took a dark turn within the last two years; there were deaths in the family, several big losses, et cetera. Need not delve into them anymore because they're all in the past now. I kept fighting, I kept living and now I'm back. That's what really matters.**

 **To those who are still waiting for me to finish my last Flashpoint fic "The Conquest", I promise to finish it soon. My plot bunnies are fed and ready to roll!**

 **So hang on tight, my dear SPN family. Adromir is back, baby! Rrrowwrr!**

 **Summary: After a simple hunt, a strange living thing grows fast in Sam's belly. Takes place during Season 11 right before episode 7 "Plush".**

Deep in a woods somewhere in Wichita, Kansas…

At first, Sam didn't register the pain. He was too busy gripping with his entire strength at the ugly creature's horns which projected from both sides of its head. The said horns—curving shaped and unquestionably lethal—were mere inches from stabbing him in the neck.

"Dean, hurry up!" Sam cried out, cringing with exertion as he kept shoving back. Trapped against the corner of the cave wall, he had no space to maneuver to escape the deadly appendage. The creature's four short claws moved erratically to grab purchase of his other body parts, but Sam's continuing push kept them safely away.

On the other side of the cave, Dean was frantically trying to relight his torch with his lighter. The flame had fizzled out after he dropped it onto the moistened earth when the creature had ambushed them just now. Sam's torch had been thrown clear but it still burned, lighting the otherwise dark cavern.

" _DEAN_!"

"Okay, okay! Jeez…" Dean grumbled, sparing a glance at his struggling younger brother. He almost laughed because it looked as if Sam was about to be kissed by a giant cockroach. He would definitely laugh later, _after_ he killed this crazy looking creature which he didn't even know what it was called.

"Hang on, Sammy!"

"I _am_ hanging on!" Sam fumed. "What the hell are _you_ doing?"

Cursing in frustration, Dean threw away his useless torch and rushed off to retrieve Sam's that lay nearly fifteen feet away. "Alright, I'm coming!"

Raising the torch high, Dean ran over to viciously kick the back of the creature's left tibia. There was a loud crack and the creature howled in a strange mewling sound. As it staggered, Dean shoved the burning torch against its gossamer looking pair of wings attached to its back. They went up in flame instantly.

Still howling, the creature went rabid and flung away from Sam. It threw itself against the wall repeatedly to put out the flame but the fire quickly consumed it whole. The two brothers watched as the creature turned to charcoal within minutes.

Nonplussed, Dean raised his eyebrows. "Huh."

His chest heaving as he panted for breath, Sam frowned at his brother's reaction. "What?"

"I guess the fire _does_ work."

Sam was glaring now. "You _guess_?"

"Hey, I saved your ass, didn't I? You did the research but came out with nothing on this bastard, not even its name. I, on the other hand, just moved on a hunch. So I win." Dean grinned in return, his face smudged with soot.

Pulling himself to his full height, Sam threw his brother an annoyed look. "Yeah, whatever. But I just can't believe this is all so simple. I mean, this thing killed at least three campers with its horns. Never thought it could be easily put down with simple fire."

"Admit it, dude. I'm awesome!" Still grinning, Dean nudged the carcass with the tip of his boot. "What do you think we should call it? _Cockrotoa_?"

Rolling his eyes, Sam began to move towards the cave entrance. And that was when he felt the stabbing pinch in his belly.

" _Oww_!" Sam bent over at the waist, clutching his midsection.

Dean's smile instantly vanished. He reached out to grasp his brother's arm. " _What_? What's wrong? You hurt?"

Grimacing, Sam shook his head as he slowly straightened up. "Nah, I'm fine. I think I pulled something. Nothing to worry about."

Dean, however, was not so easily convinced. "You sure?"

"Yes. Quit worrying and let's leave this crap hole."

"Hold on a second." Tightening his grip on Sam's arm to keep him still, Dean fished out a small flashlight from the pocket of his jacket. The flame of the burning corpse was dying down and the cave started to turn really dark again. He switched on the flashlight and aimed the beam at his brother, up and down.

Annoyed, Sam snapped back, "Dude, get the light out of my face!"

"Shut up." Dean gazed critically at his brother. His eyes widened when he noticed something on Sam's shirt. "Wait, is that blood?"

"Where?" Sam looked down. He blinked as he saw the small rust-colored stain on the denim fabric over his navel area. "Is it?"

Cursing under his breath, Dean yanked up his brother's shirt. "Shit, Sammy. Why didn't you say you're hurt?"

Sam jerked away out of Dean's reach. "I'm fine!"

"There's a small hole on your stomach. You're _not_ fine!"

"That's just it. A _small_ hole. Big deal. I've had worse," Sam countered back with a low grumble, straightening his clothes. "Besides, it has already stopped bleeding. It only stings a bit if I move too much. I'll put antiseptic on it later so it won't get infected or something."

Dean could only shake his head at his brother's stubbornness, and decided not to push the matter. But he had to ask, "How the hell did you get that anyway? The cokcrotoa didn't stab you with the horns, did it?"

"No." Sam rolled his eyes at his brother's persistence to call the creature that. Yet, curious himself, he crouched down next to the charred carcass to inspect the creature. "Point the light here, will ya?"

Dean obliged. "What are you looking for, anyway? A light sabre? Hah! Ain't that rich. A jedi cokcrotoa!"

Sam sent a bitchy glare at Dean, causing the older Winchester to quit chortling at his own jokes.

"Buzzkill," Dean complained. "Come on, what did you find?"

"What makes you think I found something?"

"Sammy, I used to change your diaper and wipe your nose so I can tell when you have _that_ look. You did find something. Now what is it? Share it with the class."

The bitchy glare grew fiercer. To keep himself from smacking his brother silly, Sam turned away before pointing at a thin rod extended from the creature's lower thorax. The rod—now black from the burning—was about five inches long and real sharp at the tip.

Dean frowned, bending lower to see more clearly. "What the heck is that? Some type of a weapon?"

"I think it's a reproduction apparatus," Sam grudgingly replied, suddenly feeling sick.

"A _what_?"

As Dean still didn't get it, Sam had to use easier words to clarify, "On a male human, we call it penis."

Dean blinked. And blinked again. Moments later, a giggle burst from his lips, and then another and another until he was on his knees, laughing his head off. "Are…are you telling me that…that you've been stabbed by…by that thing's _dick_?"

Again, Sam rolled his eyes. "It's not that funny."

"Oh, it's real funny, Samantha." Dean couldn't stop grinning. However, his smile slipped when Sam winced as he rose to his feet. "Seriously, Sam, are you feeling alright?"

"I told you, I'm okay," Sam responded, rubbing his belly. "I'm not feeling too much pain. Just…um…a pinch."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "A pinch? Really? For other normal human being, it's a definite sign to get to the ER, pronto!"

"No. No need for hospital."

"Dammit, Sam! We don't know much about this creature, what type of bacteria or disease it carries. You need to get a full checkup. Besides, we have no idea how deep that…that _thing_ had stab into you—"

"Um…maybe just a few inches. Not too deep, I believe."

"Deep enough for me!" Dean threw his arms in the air. "You need to see a doctor. A real doctor. Who knew what internal injuries you're having right now."

"Dean…"

"Shut up and start walking, bitch," the elder hunter ordered, big-brother mode in full activation as he nudged Sam forward. "We don't want you to collapse from zika virus or malaria afterwards."

"That's from mosquitoes, not cockroaches, you jerk."

"Whatever!"

Almost an hour later, they arrived at the nearest county hospital. It was close to midnight but the ER was incredibly packed, much to the brothers' dismay. A multi-vehicle accident had just occurred on a highway several miles away, and the crowd was getting bigger by the minute. Tearful families and friends were hounding the doctors and hospital staffs to get updates on their loved ones.

"Right. This is not happening here, not tonight," Sam remarked with a shrug.

"We can go to another hospital," Dean insisted.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Other nearest hospitals would be very busy too," Sam interjected. "This look like a real major accident. They would need all the medical assistance they could get. "

"Ya think?" Dean glared back.

Sam tried to placate his brother, "Look, how about this. Let's just go home and get Cass to have a look. We're just a couple hours from the bunker anyway."

Dean nodded, albeit hesitantly. "Fine. Cass it is. Hopefully we're able to tear him away from the Netflix for a few minutes to heal you. The last time I saw him, he's got himself totally hooked on Quantico."

The journey home that normally took about two hours was cut short to one hour and a half because Dean drove like a maniac. Sam uttered not a word of complain because the younger Winchester immediately zonked out to dreamland the moment he folded himself into the Impala, which made Dean all the more worried. Hence, the crazy driving.

When they arrived at the bunker, Dean had quite a difficult time waking up his brother. Sam's sleep was so deep that Dean had to roughly shake his shoulder until the younger man abruptly awakened.

"Stop it, jerk! I'm awake!" Sam grumbled with a shove. He threw open the car door and stumbled out like a drunken man.

"Yeah, well, you slept like the dead, bitch," Dean shot back, also getting out of the car. Worried like hell, he helped Sam down the stairs into the bunker.

"I can walk," Sam protested, though he didn't push away.

"Oh, _good for you_ ," Dean responded in a mocking tone. He immediately called out for their angel friend the moment they stepped into the bunker proper. "Cass! Come out here!"

Castiel appeared in a blink of an eye, still wearing his custom shirt and suit but minus the tie and trench coat. "You guys are back."

"Isn't that obvious," Dean quipped, pushing his brother into a chair.

"What's wrong with Sam?" Noticing that something was amiss, the angel came closer to frown down upon the younger Winchester.

"Sam danced a tango with a cockrotoa."

" _Sam_ can answer for himself," Sam announced, a little testily.

"Krakatoa? The volcano in Java?" Castiel looked so dumbfounded that Sam had to laugh.

"No, Cass," Sam replied with a pained smile. "It's cockrotoa. A cockroach-like creature that we just tangled with in Wichita. The stupid name was Dean's idea."

"It's not stupid, _stupid_." Dean glared back in response before turning to Castiel. "So get this, little brother of mine here got himself stabbed in the stomach by the creature's _dick_."

"You don't have to be so crass about it," Sam mumbled, sitting slump in is chair. He hated to admit it, but he was feeling incredibly drained even though the pain had long gone.

"How bad are you hurt?" Castiel asked, looking real concern.

"Bad enough to make him cry, that's for sure," Dean quipped.

"I didn't ask you, Dean," the angel responded, "Well, Sam, how bad is it?"

"Not so bad, considering. Dean is being a mother hen. He just loves to exaggerate."

"Let me see it."

Muttering under his breath, Sam lifted his blood stained shirt so Castiel could have a look. The angel examined the flat pane of Sam's belly, trying to find the hole. "I can't see it."

Dean's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? How can you not see it? It's right there!"

Sam was also looking down. "Well, it's gone now."

Scratching his head, Dean stared at his brother. "But where did it go? I saw it just hours ago."

"I have no idea." Sam shrugged. "To be frank, I don't feel any pain anymore. Just…feeling awfully tired."

"That's no comfort at all," Dean said before turning to Castiel. "Cass, can you at least check him over? Find out if he has any internal injuries."

"As you wish," the angel complied. Bright light appeared from his palm as it hovered over Sam's navel. A full minute later, he retracted his palm and stood. "I found no other injuries. His internal organs are intact, no bleeding inside."

"See? I've told you," Sam told Dean as he pushed down his shirt. "You worry too much."

"Then why do you look so exhausted?" Dean dubiously asked. His arms were crossed over his chest, as if putting a stance against any bullshit coming from his brother.

"Because I _am_ exhausted!" Sam fumed. "The long travel, the lack of sleep due to fruitless research for two nights straight. Not to mention the tangle with that damned cockrotoa just now."

"Hey, we finally agreed on its name then." Dean had to smile. He asked Castiel next, "You're sure Sam is perfectly fine?"

"I am sure. Like Sam said, his body is just weary from all the activities. Even so, his head is mildly pounding from stress, his sugar level is low, and his hormones are a little unbalance because—"

"Whoa, Cass! I have to stop you right there," Sam exclaimed, shooting up from his seat with a nervous laugh. "Too much information, dude. No one talks about my hormones while I'm listening, okay? So I'm gonna get myself into a shower and scrub everything clean. I mean like purifying, jeez. And then I'll head to bed."

Castiel smiled. "Very good, Sam. Do that. Now if there's nothing else, I'm taking myself away for a while."

Instantly, the angel had his tie and trench coat on, much to the Winchesters' surprise.

"You're leaving?" Dean wondered. "Where exactly are you going?"

"Gaza."

"Gaza? As in Gaza, Palestine?"

Castiel blinked back as he dryly commented, "Glad to know that your knowledge on Geography is excellent, Dean."

Amid Sam's snickers, Dean rolled his eyes and gruffly asked, "Cass, why are you going to Gaza?"

"To find Amara."

"Wait, Amara is in Gaza?" Sam was shocked. "How did you know that?"

"I didn't mean that Amara is actually in Gaza," Castiel patiently explained. "I just received through the grapevine that the answer to Amara's true existence can be found there. I need to dig up some ancient tomes and scriptures that may tell us more about her."

"Oh. So how long will you be going?" Dean asked, a peculiar expression on his face. He had the same expression every time Amara's name was brought into discussion.

"I won't be gone long. Maybe a couple of days, no more."

"So does this mean you're done with Quantico?" Sam teased.

"Yes, but now I'm in the middle of Arrow season 4. I'll resume when I get back." With that, the angel was gone.

"Cass the couch potato. Who would have thought?" Dean stood shaking his head. He then turned to his brother. "Honestly, Sammy, you're okay, right?"

"You heard what Cass said. I'm totally fine." Sam threw the older hunter an annoyed look.

"I'm just asking."

"Well, stop asking already. Look, it has been a very long night. I'm gonna go to my room and crash. Don't wake me up unless the bunker is on fire, or else…"

"Or else what?"

Instead of replying, Sam ignored his brother and continued to walk away. Dean made a face at his brother's retreating back. "Little brothers. Can't live with them, can't kill them."

Dean slept late the next day. When he woke up, he stumbled straight towards the bathroom, only to find it already occupied.

With a shrug, he turned away to head for the other bathroom down the hall when he thought he heard the sound of Sam retching. Dean put his ear to the door to listen all the better. He was not wrong. His brother was vomiting in there.

"Sam?" He knocked on the door. "Are you okay?"

The only answer was more sound of Sam's upchucking.

"Alright, I'm coming in," Dean announced, before adding under his breath, "You had better be decent."

Turning the doorknob, Dean stepped inside. He immediately turned pale.

Sam was as decent as he could be in a grey t-shirt and black boxer briefs. Kneeling on the floor, he continued to throw up into the commode. But that was not what had instantly caught Dean's attention. It was Sam's belly, no longer hard and flat but round and protruding, as if he had swallowed a bowling ball overnight and couldn't digest it.

"Sam…" Dean was horrified. He dropped on one knee next to his brother, putting a bracing arm around the younger man's back. "What…?"

Sam ceased vomiting and glanced ruefully back. "I guess I was wrong. I'm definitely not okay."

"Yeah, I can see that," Dean groused. He rose to the sink to fill a glass of water and handed it over to Sam to rinse his mouth with. "What the hell happened? You're awfully sick, aren't you?"

"If only that. I couldn't sleep a wink. I have been throwing up the entire night," Sam mumbled in reply.

"Then why didn't you call me?"

"I thought it was just some kind of a flu, Dean. I don't want to trouble you with it, but…" Grimacing, Sam pulled up his shirt to rub his midsection. "I think I'm in a real deep trouble now."

Dean couldn't help but stare at his brother's big belly. It was so bloated, like…like…

 _Holy crap! That can't be!_

"Sammy, are you…?" Dean swallowed hard. "Are you _pregnant_?"

 **TBC…**

 **#AlwaysKeepFighting ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N : I'm glad you guys still want to read this. So, carry on reading.**

-SPNSPNSPSN-

" _Pregnant_? No, I definitely am _not_!" Sam exclaimed in absolute horror. "I have something growing inside my stomach, that's all."

"But doesn't that define what pregnancy is?"

Sam glowered back as if Dean was being utterly obtuse. "Pregnancy is when a woman carries a developing offspring within her body. Firstly, I'm clearly not a woman. Secondly, this is not _my_ offspring, if indeed there _is_ a freaking thing inside me which I don't know what! If you're here to make jokes, just get out and leave me alone!"

Dean raised his eyebrows at his brother's outburst. But before he could say a word, Sam deflated with a sigh, slumping against the wall in defeat. "Look, sorry about that. I don't know what came over me."

"Forget it." Dean smiled reassuringly back. "You are seriously ill. I can understand if you're frustrated."

"I'm more than frustrated. This is not a simple illness that we can cure, Dean. This is a disaster! How am I going to get out of this mess? I can't even go to the hospital, not like this. Imagine the kinds of experiment they're gonna put me through."

"I won't let it, okay? We still have Cass. He can look you over and heal you back to normal." Dean wondered out loud then, "When he scanned you last night, why didn't he realize that something's not right with you?"

"I think he did try to tell us. Remember he said something about my unbalance hormones or something? But I didn't want to listen." Sam looked sheepish. "Besides, whatever the hell this thing is, it wasn't fully developed last night. Not like it is today."

Sam looked down at his swollen belly and then at his bare feet, before chuckling without humor. "I get all the luck, don't I? Typical me. Abducted, possessed, infected, gotten hurt again and again. And now I'm pregnant…sort of. Yep. I win it all."

His chuckles then turned to pitiful whimpers, which prompted Dean to quickly take action before things could go further downhill.

"Hey, hey, Sammy. None of that, okay?" Dean reached over to grasp his brother's shoulders, giving them a firm shake. "It's not the end of the world yet, brother. Not as long as you have me. You still feel like throwing up? No? Good. Then let's get you off the cold floor. Don't want to get you more ill than you already are."

Slowly, with Dean's help, Sam climbed to his feet with a grimace. "Agh…My back hurts."

Wincing with sympathy, Dean draped Sam's right arm around his shoulders. Sam was taller and heavier, but Dean had been taking care of his younger brother since he was a baby so he managed to support Sam's weight with ease. "You need to lie down then. Let's get you back to your room."

"I don't want to lie down. Let's go to the library," Sam protested, pulling his brother along despite his frailty.

"What for?"

"Research."

"In your condition?"

"I'm not an invalid, Dean. I'm just…"

" _Pregnant_?"

"Stop saying that!"

"But you said it just now!"

"Well, I regret it already!"

Dean sighed with a roll of his eyes. "Okay, okay! No need to fight about it. Jeez."

"Sorry, Dean."

"Just shut up and keep walking, brat."

At the library, Dean carefully helped Sam into a chair next to a study desk. He frowned to see the sheen of sweat on his brother's face. He could even feel the heat radiating of Sam's body.

"I think you're running a fever." Dean used the back of his hand to feel Sam's forehead. "Yep. You are. I'll go get you some paracetamol."

"Can you get me my sweats and hoodie too? It's freezing in here," Sam requested, rubbing his arms.

Dean nodded. "Okay. I'll go and get 'em."

"Bring my laptop also."

"Alright."

"Uh…need some apple juice too," the younger Winchester added.

Dean halted at the doorway with a glare. But at seeing the earnest yet miserable glint in his brother's puppy-dog eyes, Dean's gaze softened. "Sure, Sammy. Paracetamol, apple juice, laptop, sweats and hoodie coming up. Not necessarily in that order. Just sit tight, okay? If you need to throw up, the trash can is right by your feet."

Minutes later, Dean returned with his arms full of Sam's requests. He helped the younger man into the sweats and hoodie, gave him the dose of paracetamol, before heading towards the kitchen to get the apple juice.

Sam instantly got himself distracted by his laptop. He pulled files after files and delved into various sites. Once in a while he would get off his seat to get a journal or some books from the shelves. However, even the Men of Letters' extensive library couldn't help give result to his frantic research.

Dean returned soon after, carrying a tray filled with a bottle of apple juice, a plate of crackers, and a stack of veggie sandwiches. He placed the tray in front of his brother. "Here you go."

Sam stared at the crackers and sandwiches. "What's this?"

"Breakfast. Or should I say, brunch?"

Screwing his face, Sam took the juice but pushed away the rest. "I'm not hungry."

"Sure you are," Dean said, taking a seat across the table. "It's almost noon now. You haven't eaten anything since dinner yesterday."

"I'll be fine without food for another few hours. Still nauseous."

"So, what? You're doing research with no fuel? Sammy, you can't think straight on an empty stomach."

Sam raised his eyebrows and gave his swollen belly a telling look before raising his gaze back to his older brother.

Dean sighed. "Aw, you know what I mean. Come on, dude. Eat something."

"I don't think I can hold it down."

"At least eat the crackers. Pregnant women loved them."

If looks could kill, Dean would have died writhing on the floor. Still, scowling, Sam took a cracker and bit into it with more force than necessary. His expression gradually changed as he chewed. He looked up in surprise. "It tastes real good. "

"Right?" Dean beamed with pride, as if he had accomplished something monumental.

"When did you get this? I didn't know we have stocks of crackers in our kitchen."

"I believe it's Cass' doing. He must have gone grocery shopping while we were away. You should see the inside of the fridge, man. We have food supply that will last for a month! Bless that angel." Dean leaned forward, showing Sam his phone. "Now, talking about the angel, I've tried calling Cass while I was in the kitchen. No go. The call went straight to voice mail."

"Maybe the network doesn't work in Gaza," Sam commented, munching on his third piece of crackers.

"Or maybe he's inside a tomb or a cave underneath the pyramid."

"That's pyramid of Giza, not Gaza."

"Shut up, geek." Dean flipped Sam's laptop around towards him. "What have you found out so far?"

"About the cockrotoa? Nothing," Sam said. "The same result I got when I did the research last two days. Of course, I didn't use the actual word 'cockrotoa' due to obvious reason. I searched everything on cockroaches and reproductions via stabbing in the stomach and male pregnancy, but they sent me to all kinds of hardcore sexual sites. Ugh. I'm gonna have nightmares for weeks!"

Dean had the gall to laugh out loud. Sam opened his mouth to lay into his brother but he cried out instead, grabbing his midsection with both hands.

"Sam?" Dean was instantly on his feet to kneel next to his brother's chair. "What's wrong? Are you hurting?"

"Unghhh…" Sam moaned, bending over with his eyes closed. Lines of pain was etched on his face. "It moves…gah!"

Dean kept a supporting grip on his brother's arm, letting Sam know that he was not alone as he rode the pain. Several fretful minutes later, Sam straightened up, looking real pale. "That…that was…h...horrible. Jeez."

Feeling helpless, Dean could only give his brother's arm a comforting squeeze. "How can I help?"

Smiling weakly, Sam shook his head. "You being here is help enough, Dean. I just…just wish that there's some kind of a warning. That was real scary. I never felt such thing in my whole life."

He grunted and clasped his stomach again. "This is…this is insane. I know something is growing inside me but…what the hell is it? Is it really a cockrotoa or something else?"

"I don't want to scare you, Sammy, but it could be more than one," Dean said. "Do you mind if I have a look?"

Sam nodded. Wincing, he pulled up his hoodie and t-shirt underneath. The view of his rounded belly was surreal to them both. Dean had to swallow repeatedly to moisten his dry throat before he carefully placed both palms on Sam's stomach.

"I feel it," Dean remarked, mystified, when he felt its slight movement. He could even notice the strange-looking bulges on the tender skin of Sam's belly. "Holy shit."

"Dean…"

At Sam's whimpering, Dean looked up. His younger brother's eyes were swimming with tears.

"I'm totally screwed, am I?"

"No, no, no…" Dean immediately got back to his feet and pulled Sam into his arms. "Do not despair so, little brother. This is so not like you. You're Sam fucking Winchester. You will get through this, I promise."

Pulling back, Dean locked gazes with his brother. "Listen, I'll call Cass again. If I couldn't get hold of him, I'll pray. If that still didn't work, we have no other choice but to take you to the hospital. This is way above my pay grade, man."

Sam was ruefully shaking his head. "They'll think I'm a freak."

"But you _are_ a freak." Dean grinned. He patted the side of his brother's neck with full warmth. "Chin up, Sammy. Hospital will be our last resort. What we really need to do now is finding out what's really growing in there."

"How are we gonna do that?"

Dean was thoughtful for a while. He looked closely at his brother, assessing his condition. "Will you be okay if I leave you for about an hour?"

Sam shrugged. "I think so, sure. Why? Where are you up to?"

"I need to find something that can tell us exactly what it is you're carrying."

"How?"

"I'm gonna go find a portable ultrasound machine."

At Sam's incredulous look, Dean shrugged. "Hey, I dated an OB/GYN doctor. I know what a portable ultrasound machine is."

"Yeah, whatever," Sam responded, having not the slightest interest to hear more about his brother's love life. "How are you going to acquire the machine anyway?"

"Through the same OB/GYN doctor, of course. She has a clinic downtown," Dean said with a big grin. "I'd better go now. I'll be back as soon as I can. Call me if anything happens, alright? I'll come home running."

"Even when you're in the middle of shtupping the said OB/GYN?" Sam teased.

Dean's only response was by flipping Sam the bird, causing the younger Winchester to laugh. As his brother disappeared up the stairs, Sam's laughter dwindled down. He looked down at his belly. It looked as if it had grown bigger within the last few minutes.

Sighing, he pulled the laptop back towards him and resumed his pointless research.

-SPNSPNSPSN-

Dean was not a happy camper. Okay, he managed to borrow a portable ultrasound machine from the clinic, but it was without permission. The cute OB/GYN doctor was still vexed at him over their last disastrous date. No chance of a quick shtupping, then. So Dean had to grab the thing and slipped away with it without the doctor noticing. He vowed to return it later.

Adding to that, Castiel was still unreachable. All his calls went straight to voice mail. Dean had prayed and prayed until his voice had gone hoarse, but no angel came to the rescue.

By the time Dean arrived at the bunker, he had been gone for over an hour. He hurriedly grabbed the case containing the machine and ran inside. He was anxious to see Sam and didn't want to leave him alone for much longer than he intended to.

"Sam, I'm back," Dean was saying as he rushed down the stairs. "Sorry it took a while. I got to do some real sweet talking and it was…"

Dean stared, dumbfounded, at the empty library. There was no sign of his ailing brother.

"Sammy!" Dean called out. No answer.

Worried but not in full panic yet, he headed into the kitchen. Sam was not there either. Dean stopped abruptly and slapped himself on the forehead. "His bedroom, you idiot!"

Turning around, Dean ran down the hallway towards Sam's room. The door was slightly ajar, so he pushed it wider and went in. Sam was abed, lying curl on his side with one arm across his swollen belly.

A bigger swollen belly.

Dean's eyes widened. _Holy crap_.

"Sam." Keeping his voice low and unthreatening, Dean put down the case and knelt by his brother's bed. "Hey, Sammy. I'm back."

Sam's eyes fluttered open. They were laced with confusion and pain. "D…Dee?"

Dean had to smile. Sam looked like his four-year-old self when he said Dean's name like that. "Yes, brother. It's me."

Sam briefly closed his eyes and emitted a tired smile. "You were gone like…forever."

"I know, sorry. My bad. The OB/GYN doctor I was seeing, she is having PMS or something."

"Huh?"

"Never mind." Dean critically ran his gaze up and down Sam's person. His younger brother no longer wore his hoodie—it was draped on the foot of the bed—so the view of his big stomach was even more pronounced. Sam's hair was dampened with sweat, and his face flushed from the heat.

"The paracetamol didn't work, I gather," Dean remarked, as he felt Sam's forehead.

Sam nodded. "I'm a walking furnace."

"I'll get you some cold cloth then to bring the fever down." Dean frowned. "You look beyond exhausted, dude. Can you still walk? How did you get yourself here?"

Sam managed a weak grin. "I crawled."

Although Dean was aghast to hear it, he tried not to let it show on his face. "Sam. _Fucking_. Winchester."

"Yeah, yeah. I am that," Sam replied. He suddenly broke into a wince and clasped his tummy. "Shit. It just won't stop."

"It continues to move?" Dean also placed his hand there.

"Constantly every ten minutes, like clockwork." Sam gritted his teeth. "That's why I came here to lie down. The pain was worse when I'm vertical."

"Jeez, Sammy…"

"It's okay, Dean. I can still bear it." Sam gave Dean a reassuring look. "So, you got the machine?"

"Yes, right here." Dean patted the case next to him and rose to his feet. "But first I'm gonna get you some water and a cold compress for your fever."

"No. Those can wait," Sam interjected, "Please, Dean. I want to find out what's inside me right _now_."

Dean opened his mouth to protest, but one look at his brother's pleading gaze caused him to relent. "Fine. Let's do it."

Sam watched, fascinated, as Dean opened the case and took out the portable ultrasound machine. Pulling a chair close to the bed, Dean placed the machine on it and began connecting the power cables.

"Um…you know how to do this, right?" Sam asked, albeit uncertain despite himself.

"Yeah. The pretty OB/GYN doctor experimented it on me during one of our dates," Dean explained with lascivious grins. "It was quite a fantastic experience."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Alright, stop. I got the picture, no need to explain."

Dean laughed. When everything was attached and assembled, he said, "Okay, Sammy. You need to fully lie on your back for this to work."

With much effort, Sam obliged. Dean then sat on the edge of the bed by Sam's thigh, pushing the bottom of his brother's t-shirt up to his chest. Afterwards, he smeared some gel all over Sam's belly, causing Sam to flinch.

"Sorry, dude. I know it's cold."

"No problem. Just don't tell anyone about any of this, okay? Or I swear I won't ever talk to you again!"

Dean chuckled. He then grabbed the sensor and held it firmly against his Sam's skin, moving it slowly over the surface. As he did so, both brothers watched the ultrasonic images on the monitor screen with apt attention.

"Son of a bitch…" Sam muttered, staring wide at the sonograms. "It _is_ a cockrotoa."

Dean nodded, also transfixed. "At least it's only one, not more. Look at that. That's the head, the thorax…And what are those?"

"Look like horns." Sam tore his gaze away. "No wonder it hurts so much. Every time it moves…"

"The horns move too and cut you from the inside." Feeling ill, Dean put away the sensor. "This is totally not good. Sam, I wish that I can lessen your pain. I wish that I can do something about it. But I'm real sorry, man. I really have no idea what to do now."

Sam responded by placing one arm across his eyes. His shoulders shook slightly. To Dean's absolute dismay, he realized that his little brother was weeping.

"Sammy…" Dean implored, giving Sam's knee a squeeze.

"I'll be fine, Dean," Sam replied without removing his arm, his voice breaking. "I just…I just need to be left alone for a while, okay?"

Reluctantly, Dean acquiesced. "Okay, Sammy. I'll be in the library and continue with the research. Just holler if you need anything, alright?"

Gently, Dean wiped the remnants of gel from Sam's belly with some Kleenex, packed the portable ultrasound machine, and left the room with a heavy heart.

-SPNSPNSPSN-

"Dean!"

Dean shot awake from his slumber. He thought he had heard his brother crying out his name, but he wondered if it was only a dream.

He glanced at his watch. It had been almost three hours since he had left Sam's room. Ever since then, he had been sitting at the desk in the library, going through the rest of Sam's research as he tried to find something— _anything_ —that could help their case. But soon after, the words on the laptop screen began to jumble altogether, which caused him to go drowsy and putting him to sleep.

This was why Sam was the research expert. He bet that kid could even stay awake during Plato's rendition of epistemology—

" _DEAN_!"

 _Holy crap! Sammy!_

Jumping off his chair, Dean ran hard like he had never run before. He pushed into Sam's room and went into a standstill, horrified at what he saw.

His younger brother was as he had left him, lying in bed with the blankets pushed off his sweaty form. But there was more. A pool of fresh blood had formed on the bed sheet underneath him. Sam's sweatpants were also not spared, they had turned almost black from it.

"D…Dean…" Sam was stuttering, his eyes tearful. He looked utterly terrified. "H...help…help me…"

 **TBC…**

#AlwaysKeepFighting ^_^


End file.
